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SCSN Caravan 09 eNewsNo. 27 - 5/15/09>>>TOP STORY<<< >>POMONA VALLEY CORVETTE ASSOCIATION SPONSORS DEPARTURE NIGHT EVENT<< The Southern California/Southern Nevada Caravan Organizing Team thanks the Membership of the Pomona Valley Corvette Association for stepping up with a donation of $3000.00 to underwrite the cost of "The PVCA Departure Night Soiree". This Caravan Eve event has become sort of a tradition with the SoCal/SoNev Section. The Departure Night Soiree is being planned and staged by Caravan Lieutenant Elora Stidham. Your Masters of Ceremonies for the Departure Night Soiree will be PVCA Member and Caravan Commander Brent Hicks and PVCA President Charlie Lipscomb. Desert munchies will be serviced. The Route Book will be distributed. The Caravan Organizing Team will reveal last minute changes and additions to the route instructions. There may also be door prizes and other freebies. Caravan Captain Hib Halverson tells the SCSN eNews that he will announce a surprise auction item that night. The lucky winner will enjoy the prize the following morning as we depart AutoClub Speedway in Fontana. >>SoCal/SoNev ENTRIES CONTINUE TO GROW<< Caravan "Commander" Sherry Maples tells us that registrations for the Southern California/Southern Nevada Section of the 2009 National Corvette Caravan continue to trend upwards--perhaps not at the rate they were several months ago, but the number of cars is still growing. On 7 May, we had 218 cars and 397 people going on the trip. >>TIRE RAFFLE VI<< The sixth of our Goodyear Tire raffles starts today and lasts until 31 May. This will be our final fund raising tire raffle. By now, everyone should know the drill. Each raffle raises money for the Caravan Organizing Team. The money will be used to fund preruns, purchase equipment used to operate the Caravan and to cover some of the cost of staging social events. As with all our Section's funds, anything left after the Caravan is over shall be donated to the National Corvette Museum. Each raffle is for four of any Goodyear tire which fits Corvettes, other passenger cars or light trucks. The winner of each raffle gets the opportunity to buy that set of tires for $750.00. You can see the various tires available at http://www.goodyeartires.com/. Getting four tires for a Vette for 750 bucks represents a great deal, You can check prices at the Tire Rack web site. To enter the raffle, you must be registered with the Southern California/Southern Nevada Section of the 2009 National Corvette Caravan. Between today and 4 April, send an email to "Commander" Sherry Maples at caravan2009@cox.net and request entry to the raffle. Your name will be entered. When the raffle ends two weeks later, Ms. Maples will draw a name/registration number as the winner along with some alternates. The winner will be offered a set of tires for $750.00. Once the winner's check is received, he/she will get, by return mail, a certificate redeemable at any Goodyear Tire dealer for the tires. The SoCal/SoNev organizing team is grateful to all the Caravaners who have supported our tire raffles. We're also grateful to Goodyear which donated the tire certificates. Goodyear has been a major sponsor of the SoCal/So Nev Caravan Section for both the 2009 and 2003 events. >>BOOK ROOMS NOW<< If you're going with the SoCal/SoNev Section on the Caravan and you have not booked your hotel rooms. You need to do that immediately. See eNews #21 for the hotel booking instructions at: http://www.corvettecaravan.com/ca-southern/socal-enews-21.shtml >>CAPTAIN'S MAINTENANCE ORDERS<< You'll drive a minimum of 4500 miles on the National Corvette Caravan and you'll make the trip during some of the hottest weather of the year, so do some preventive maintenance to your car before you leave. Most importantly, make sure your tires are in condition good enough for a trip that far in very hot weather. Additionally, it's a lttle known fact that a Corvette with two people and enough baggage for a 10-day trip inside is quite a bit over it's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. The weight the car carries along with the hot weather, put an extreme load on the tires. For the Caravan, set your tire pressures at the maximum recommended by the sticker on the door post. For older Corvettes lacking a door sticker, inflate the tires to the maximum pressure suggested by the tire maker. If your oil change interval will come up on the trip, change your oil and filter before you go. Lube the chassis, service the transmission and rear axle and change the fuel filter if necessary. Has your car been bouncing a lot lately? Maybe you need new shocks. If you start the trip with bad-shocks, you'll regret it. If you haven't had the front-end aligned in a while, do that, too. If you're driving a pre-'84-car and you haven't adjusted the steering box in a long time or it's never been done, do that. The first day's travel for the Caravan will take us across the Mojave Desert through areas which, in summertime, are some of the hottest in the United States. For that, your car will need good cooling. Make sure your cooling system is functioning properly and all it's parts including the radiator, water pump, thermostat, belts and hoses are in good condition. Inspect the front of your radiator to insure it's not blocked with debris. With C4, 5 and 6, make sure the areas between radiator, a/c condenser and engine oil cooler (if so equipped) are clear of debris. Make sure the front air dam on a C3-C6 is intact. Make sure your engine-driven cooling fan or electric fans work properly. If your car has air and you've noticed it isn't as cold as it used to be, have the a/c serviced. Many caravaners carry tools and even some spare parts or a service manual. Sometimes, it's tough to get all that in the back of a Corvette, much less add it to two-weeks worth of personal gear. If you are traveling with friends or fellow club members, divide-up the cargo. One car can carry the wrenches and sockets. Another can carry the electrical troubleshooting tools and extra fuses. A third can carry screwdrivers and pliersyou get the idea. Of course, if you work it that way and one of this group breaks on the way, all should stop because it doesn't do much good to need a 9/16ths open-end and know its in the back of your buddy's car, 20 miles ahead. >>CARAVAN MERCHANDISE: ON SALE<< The SoCal/SoNev Caravan Organizing Team has made a deal with Captain "Tuna" Dobbins of the TX Panhandle/Oklahoma Section of the Caravan to handle sales of Caravan merchandise for our section's Caravaners. Currently available are: Caravan flags $20.00 The windshield header is a static cling for the inside or outside. The size is 2.5"x30". The NCM logo is on the left end, Caravan 09 logo on right end with red, white, blue text in the middle. The cling will come in three parts. The segmented design was done so it will fit virtually all Corvettes. Prices include shipping. Payment is by check or money order. Sorry, no credit cards are accepted. For an order form, please email Tuna or Susan Dobbins of the OK/TX Panhandle Section at okcaravan2009@yahoo.com Two different Caravan t-shirts and a Caravan sweatshirt are available direct from the Corvette Museum Store. The t-shirts are not the same as the free shirt you get with a Caravan Registration. More information on shirts and sweats can be had by going to http://www.corvettecaravan.com/ca-southern/ and clicking the "caravan merchandise" link. >>CARAVAN SPEAKER'S BUREAU<< The SCSN Caravan Organizing Team has a "speaker's bureau" which will work out of the L.A./O.C. area. If your Corvette Club wants to have a member of the "Commander's Council" attend a meeting and talk about the Caravan, please have your Club's President or events director contact, Hib Halverson, at captain.socalcar@charter.net >>HELP WANTED<< The SCSN Organizing Team is looking for a local leader in the Las Vegas/Henderson, Nevada area to organize and lead a "feeder caravan" which will leave Las Vegas mid-morning on 29 August and meet the main Caravan in Kingman, AZ that afternoon. This person must reside in the Vegas valley, be active with Corvette clubs in the area and needs to be experienced with planning and organizing Corvette events and leading caravans of 25 or more cars. Anyone interested in this job should contact SoCal/SoNev Captain, Hib Halverson at captain.socalcar@charter.net Best Regards, Going on the Caravan? Even new cars with less than 1,000 miles have paint blemishes from normal driving. Imagine what a cross-country trip will do to YOUR paint. The solution? A "Clear Bra". It functions like a traditional auto bra but is far more durable and cannot be seen. It will NOT scratch your Corvette's finish like most "strap-on" auto bras. This 3M Paint and Headlight Protection lasts for the life of your Vette. SCSN Capt. Hib Halverson used a 3M Clear Bra on the 2003 National Corvette Caravan and endorses it as the best way to avoid damage to the front of your car. Professional installations by the 3M factory-trained Installer in California most experienced with Corvettes: Envisage Design Labs. Call (310) 613-4691 or email Envisage at: envisagedesignlabs@yahoo.com
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